..........I was impressed a while ago with our bank card system . We were replacing our electric hob & built-in oven .
Went out on the morning and purchased the hob , using the card .
Missus wanted to actually see the oven in the flesh as it were , at Comet so we drive there.
Its fine but its £100 dearer in the shop than online also at Comet . Sales guy says thats how it is .
So we go home ,check its the same one , place the order on Comet website, around £400 I think , Missus says the card is blocked :C Then the phone rings , I jokingly say thats the bank checking up on you .
Voice says its Natwest security , asks the security questions then says are you trying to purchase online ? Yes . We blocked your card because of unusual activity , £250 was spent this morning , now £400 when normal activity is Petrol & the supermarket .
I was most impressed to be honest .
Had something similar a few years ago, but was less than impressed, I had a credit card just for emergencies, however one day the wife and I were in Blackpool and I spotted a video camera in a shop, I'd wanted one for ages and it was a good price. After a bit of pondering I decided to buy it, went into the shop and after checking it out, I handed over my card to the salesman. He went off to make a phonecall, to do the transaction and came back a few minutes later, "I'm sorry sir, this card has been declined" he said, in a voice loud enough for everyone else to hear, and handed it back to me.
Feeling rather embarrased, not to mention confused, I took it from him and left the store, about 5 minutes later my mobile rang, it was the card company,they wanted to know where I was. I replied, "Blackpool" and was just about to have a go at them for declining the card when the bloke on the other end went, "ah, so it was you then". I asked what he meant and he replied that they were ringing me to ask if my card had been stolen, as someone had just attempted to buy an expensive camera with it, in Blackpool!
I informed him that it was me trying to buy the camera, and I'd found the whole experience rather embarrassing!. I insisted that he rang the store and explained, as I intended on going back to buy it.
I could understand them declining the card if they thought it stolen, but not to tell the store to keep hold of it was rather silly.
On a slightly more amusing note.
One night my wife and I were sat watching TV, the phone rang, it was, apparently the bank. I looked at the clock, just after 8pm, very odd, the chap on the phone explained that he was from the call centre and they were doing some work and he needed to discuss our account. He then asked me for the usual details, name, address, date of birth, mothers maiden name, etc, I refused to answer, how did I know he was really from the bank? I told him that before I'd answer any questions, he'd have to answer a few security questions himself, "what is my current balance, what were the last three card transactions, and what was the last amount spent on the card?"
He was a bit taken aback by this, but in a few minutes he came back with the correct responses and I was happy to continue, at the end of the conversation he told me that this was the first time anyone had ever asked him any security questions! It's something I always do, maybe I'm paranoid, or maybe I just don't wan't somone else getting their hands on my cash.
